Washington Park has been important in the lives of Charlottesville’s African-American community since 1930. The public park is located off of Preston Avenue, adjacent to the Rose Hill neighborhood and has enjoyed much lively activity over the decades.
The Park sits on land that was originally part of Rose Hill plantation and later became the city’s landfill. In 1926 a local white resident, Paul Goodloe McIntire, bought 9 acres of this land to establish what was then termed a “Colored Park.” The headlines of the day read "One for White and One for Colored," suggesting that McIntire was attempting to strike some sort of balance. In just a few years, the Black community transformed the land into a vibrant neighborhood recreation center. It remained the only city park for African-Americans for the next 40 years.
When community members gathered in the park, they enjoyed interaction, mentorship, and fellowship through a broad range of activities, such as family picnics, dances, concerts, baseball and basketball tournaments, tennis, and checkers games. Basketball was a year-round activity and it wasn’t uncommon for UVA basketball players to join in the games. The park design, which included a playground with swings, a merry-go-round, and sandboxes, allowed parents and volunteers to supervise and enjoy watching the activity, including children participating in arts and crafts and putting on skits.
In the 1950s our city parks were gradually becoming more integrated, but creating a public swimming pool where African Americans felt safe and welcome remained a real challenge. In no other type of recreation facility was inequality so blatant or racial tension so close to the surface as that of a public pool. Many white people fought against it. But finally, on April 18, 1968, Charlottesville opened its first public pool for people of both races at Washington Park.
In the late 1990’s, the park was overhauled with a new recreation building, playground, landscaping, basketball courts, and a new pool. And in 2001, the park was rededicated for esteemed African-American leader Booker T. Washington. Today it is one of the most heavily used parks in the Charlottesville park system.
Since 1989, the African-American Cultural Arts Festival has been held annually at Washington Park each July. This popular festival celebrates the African American heritage, the community, and the park’s rich history.
